Automobile signaling device



1941. B. 1'. ROSEBERRY EIAL. 2,231,482

AUTOMOBILE S IGNALING DEVICE Filed Dec. 20, 1957 insa/af/br; 6 Jul 4 2h Patented Feb. 11, 1941 2,231,482

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE AUTOMOBILE SIGNALING DEVICE Beegle T. Roseberry, Cedar Falls, Iowa, and

Christ H. Kowalski, Scotland, S. Dak.

Application December 20, 1937, Serial No. 180,730

2 Claims. (Cl. 177-327) Our invention relates to improvements in auis an enlarged partial cross section showing tomobile signaling devices, and the principal obelements or contact devices mounted in ccacting ject thereof is to provide for self-propelled or relation upon a backing insulating plate and other vehicles duplex signaling devices to india manually operable insulating operating lever 5 cate either a left-hand or a right-hand turning device. Fig. 6 is an enlarged longitudinal sec- 5 thereof. tion of the lamp-carrying semaphore.

Another object of our improvements is to fur- Like numerals designate like elements throughnish distinctive lamps for these devices in loop out the several views. circuits, both circuits being normally open, and The numeral l denotes a front upper portion 10 to combine therewith manually controllable make of an automobile body including a wind-shield, l0 and break means shiftable to close either circuit In i d c e front W and TOOf portions While leaving the other circuit open, whereby of the body. A box .type semaphore arm having either lamp may be distinctively energized to a cumferen a inwa y fl d f a e 2a indicate a proposed left or right hand turning of has Sp ced vfIGnt d rear g s Side plates the vehicle. the frame 2a. having a medial inwardly thread- 15 Another object of our improvements is to edhollow boss. 21 seating therein an outwardly mount said lamps upon a single semaphore for extending hollow arm 9 terminating th a their convenient use to indicate such a prorearwardly t p 2h r v i k ly e posed left or right hand turning of the vehicle, from an la t p j therefrom d t u and to provide means for raising or lowering the a hollow insulati g 10055 411 fi ed centrally On 20 semaphore manually while at the same time and being a p Of a rectangular insulating causing the energization of one or the other lamp plate 4 ed y s rews to said front wall, with thereon, or when the semaphore is lowered to a screw 21 Securing Said p ts together re ovopen the circuit in use. b y- 25 Another object of our improvements is to Electric lamps 3 and 6 are mounted upon the 25 furnish a rockable switch device including confront glass p of the semaphore 2-261, to p tact elements for the respective terminals of 59013 forwardly, a d offset from each other laterthe conductor loops, whereby the switch may be allyin diagonally opp e p ac a t u t y employed in closing either circuit at will through may be OfiSet Vertically tead- Their conductso the selected lamp for left or right hand turning s w e 3a d 3b are carried thence through so of the vehicle, the switch device being mechanithe hollow 10058 f a d arm 29 and throu h o cally connected to the semaphore also, whereby fices in the inner end 2h 0f the latter and the switch may be used in rocking the semathrough the Wall la and insulating p ate 4 at phore t th s ti it t t are different locations to terminate at the rear face ployed in closing the selected circuit through of the plate in Slightly p j g heads as eX- 35 the signal lamp to be actuated for either a left amplified in 5 at 30, the rear s parts hand or a right hand turning of t h 1 of the heads being preferably bosses with central Th s bj ct we ha accomplished by the cavities. The convex contacts 5a and 50 on the means which are herein illustrated and demoving switch Sector Cooperate With the Conscribed. It is also to be understood that vari- Cave contacts on the base o position the 40 ous changes may be effected in the said devices Signal in Operating positiohs- When t e switch t accomplish said purposes, witho t departing body is rocked in opposite directions to illuminate from the invention or the protection of the apone t other of the lamps its motion is pended claims. either way from a neutral position in which the Fig. 1 denotes a partial transverse section of signal is horizontal and the handle is at right 45 the upper part of an automobile body immediangles to the position the handle assumes when ately to the rear of the front Wall thereof, showthe signal is down. The wires. leading from the ing the extended semaphore of the signal device stationary contacts to the arm 29 have a loop before it and the manually operable switch at the entrance to the arm so that sufficient mounted within the body, the broken lines inplay to allow for motion of the arm is obtained. 50 dicating the lowered position of the semaphore. The lamps 3 and 6 should be of contrasting Figs. 2 to 4 inclusive are enlarged similar elecolors, preferably the lamp 3 may be red and vations of the switch device including the elec the lamp 6 green. Other Warning designations trical loops in each and a battery 1 for illumay be added to said semaphore, viz.; accom- 5 5 minating either of the semaphore lamps. Fig. 5 panying the red lamp 3 may be an indicating arrow 26 directed to a letter L denoting the signal for a left hand turn of the vehicle. In like manner in the lower part of the semaphore may be placed the designations of an arrow 2b directed to a letter R to indicate a right turn. 1

But one pair of the lamps are shown projecting from the front part of the semaphore, but like lamps may be placed on the rear part if desired, properly connected to' the Wires at 30 and 3b in series. I

The numeral denotes a rockable body of insulation integral with the collar 4a secured upon the arm 29 on its rearwardly turned portion Zn and carrying an integral crank arm 5b as ahandle.

The rockable switch body 5 hasas, shownin Fig. 5, an opposite pair of contact studs 5a and 50 which project toward the plate '4iandare adapted to contact with the terminals 3c 3d, or 3.2-3) at times as the body 5 is rocked in either of opposite directions away from the-neutral position. The studs 5a and 5c are connected by a conductor 5d. Figs. 3 and 4 thus show respectively the switch positions for the left and right signals. When the signal is in its down position the switch part 5b lies between slightly projecting convex bosses 4b as shown in said Fig. 2, permitting springing of the handle part 5b over one of thebosses, which latter normally retain the signal in place in the down position.

In Fig. 2 is shown the wiring diagram. Conductor loops 3a and 3b are normally open in each case at their terminals 30 and 3d, and 3e and 3f on the insulating plate 4. These terminals are so arranged on said plate that, as the switch body 5 is rocked in either of opposite directions flrom the neutral position by means of the crank handle 51), the body 5 yields causing the contacts 50 and 5a to contact with said terminals releasably to close either loop by way of the conductor 5d, and therewith to the lamp 3 or to the lamp 6 respectively to light the lamp then in circuit, and as the handle 5b is .thus rocked the arm 29 is rocked therewith to place the semaphore 2 in an approximately horizontal signaling position to display either an illuminated red or green light as a left or right turn signal and the operator manually holds the handle up until released.

As shown in dotted lines in Fig. 1, the arm 5b may be rocked oppositely from the extended position of the semaphore to place the latter in the inoperative position shown in said figure, and to locate the arm 5b between said bosses 4b.

The plate 4 is preferably positioned nearly infront of the driver, at ready reach for operatio'ribefore turning the vehicle in either a left or right direction as a warning signal to pedestrians or vehicles.

We claim:

1. In a signaling device, in combination, an electric battery, a rockable arm carrying difier- ,entially distinguished electric signal lamps in make and break association with the battery, means for rocking said arm including a rockable insulating sector secured angularly to the arm and a handle secured to the sector, a pair of movable contacts mounted on the sector with aconductor connecting them, and pairs of stationary contacts separately in circuit with the lamps and positioned within the scope of rocking travel of the movable contacts to close a circuit through one or the other of the lamps in one or the other of two raised positions and open the circuits in all other positions.

2. In a signaling device, in combination, an electric battery, a rockable arm carrying differentially distinguished electric signal lamps in make and break association with the battery, means for rocking said arm including a rockable insulating sector secured angularly to the arm and a handle secured to the sector, a pair of movable contacts mounted on the sector with a conductor connecting them, and pairs of stationary contacts separately in circuit with the lamps and positioned within the scope of rocking travel of the movable contacts to close a circuit through one or the other of the lamps in one or the other of two raised positions and open the circuits in all other positions, and means for releasably retaining the sector when the signal is in the down position.

- 'BEEGLE T. ROSEBERRY.

CHRIST H. KOWALSKI. 

